Electrical reduction-furnace.



H. H. NOBLE. ELECTRICAL REDUCTION FURNACEt APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1912.

1,057,082. Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

wrruassss citizen of the United HAMDEN H. NOBLE,OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIAL ELECTRICAL EREDUCTION-FURNACE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

Applicationffiled July 2, 1912. Serial N 0. 707,160.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HAMDEN H. NOBLE, a States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Reduction-Furnaces, of 'whichthe following is a specification.

The hereinafter described inventionrelates to improvements in electrical smelting or reduction furnace construction, and more particularly to a feed stack construction by are quickly Iremoved from the crucibl thereof, thus maintaining cool the arch of, the furnace and by so doing simplifying tho operation of ,the furnace and preservihgmthe arch of the cruci 1:31 r

Heretofore electrical smeltin and reduc-,

tion furnaces have been constructed with a.

plurality of stacks supported above the roof and arranged in alinement in the lehgitudinal center thereof, and it has been the practics in reducing ores to permit sthfi highly heated generated ex anding gases from the crucible to rise through the material in the feed stacks which necessitated the feeding of the ore in comparatively large particles to the crucible to permit of interstices between thebodies thereof {through which the gases were permitted to,slowly rise. In this con structmn of stack, the ore as fed into the crucible did not completely fill the same, but left pockets adjacent the roof and arch thereof which confined the heated expanding generated gases immediately below the arch and crucible roof and the heat from the pocketed gases destroyed the same in a very short time, necessitating their replacement,

which entails a great expense and considerable loss of time in the operation of the furnace The principal object of my invention is to construct the arch and feed stacks of a reduction furnace in such a manner that the roof is dispensed with and the highly heated generated, expanding gases which ordinarily collect adjacent the zone of the arch or roof of the furnace, will, after bein generated, freely rise through the feed stac r, and by so doing freeing the arch or roof of the furnace from the in'urious elfect. of the heated gases thereon an thereby materially prolonging the life of the furnace arch or roof.

Another object is to provide a feed stack and roof construction which will permit of the crucible being fed with ore to its full capacity, thereby preventing the formation of gas accumulation pockets adjacent the arch or roof of the furnace. 4

The invention consistsin providing a re duction furnace having the usual crucible covers through which the heating electrodes project, with ore feed stacks having approximately straight side walls and downwardly and outwardly diverging end walls, the side wallswpringing from the edges of the arch covers and the end walls being connected withjthe side walls of the crucible, thus forming stacks having a contracted mouth or feed opcningrand a discharge end of a width equal to that of the crucible, the enlarged end of the stack readily permittin of the escape of the gases from the ful width of the crucible; and the wall construction of the stack being such as to prevent the descending ore clinging to the interior wall surface thereof.

To more fully comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing showing a completely constructed device for carrying out my inven tion, wherein,

Figure 1 is a. top plan view of my im proved furnace construction, disclosing thecrucible arches on which the-side walls of thestacks are adapted to rest, and the openingsjn the arches through which the electrodes enter, the stacks not being disclosed. Fig. 2 is aside elevation, artly in section, disclosing the crucible arc res, and the feed stacks interposed between certain of the arches, with their side walls resting on said arches, and certain other of said arches before the stacks are built between the same. Fig.3 is broken sectional view taken on lines 'A-B-C-D of Fig. 1, disclosing the shape of the end walls of the stack and the manner of mounting the same.

to the draw Referring more particularly ings, the reference numeral 1 designates the crucible of a long and narrow type'of furnace provided with the usual tap holes 2 through which the molten products are removed. I

Restin on the top of the sidewalls 2 "0f the cruci le and extending to the outer edges thereof are the spaced arched covers provided in their centers with an opening 4 through which extend the heating electrodes 5, disclosed in dotted lines, the electrodes receiving their power from any suitable source, and supported in position in any well know. manner.

The ore to be treated is 'fed into the crueir i 5 ble through suitable feed stacks construeted 1 by means of the supporting frame 8,

- From the above construction it will be observedthat a feedstack has been provided which extends the full width of the crucible and that the gases rising fromthe cruciblewill find ready access through the stack, and

will not be confined in the crucible as in the previously constructed furnaces. It -will also be observed that by providing a furnace -with the above type of feed stack that the we will be uniformly fed and distributed into-the crucible for the full width thereof, and the ore when fed into the crucible will fill the same to the top thereof and gas pockets will not be formed between the ore and the furnace arch as is the case with the furnaces now in use.

It will be noted that the lower end of the stacks for the furnace extend from a point above that from which the arch covers 3 being dispensed with in the present case, thus overcoming the breaking down of the furnace which exists where the roof for the crucible is subjected to and weakened by the action of the highly heated expanded gases confined-thereunder.

Having thus described the invention whatv is claimed as new and ,desired to. be protected by Letters Patent is- In an electrlcal reduction furnace, the combination with the side walls thereof; of a plurality oftransversely disposed spaced arch coverssupported by the side walls of the furnace, an outlet stack having its end .Walls united to the side walls of the furnace by base blocks located intermediate the ends of the arch covers, the side walls of said stack being connected to the arclrcovers of I the furnace, the said arch covers being provided with openings through which the electrodes for the furnace enter into the crucible.

. y/ I HAMDEN H. NOBLE.

Witnesses:

C, B. MORGAN,

F. B. LONGLEY. 

